Top Ten Tuesday: Top Ten Futuristic Societies I Would Not Want To Live In

Today’s top ten is all about the past and the future. I have a big addiction to dystopian books, which are basically about all possible versions of a (horrible) future. While they may be fun to read about, they are ABSOLUTELY not fun to live in. So that’s why I made this into a list of the ten possible futuristic dystopian societies I would NOT want to live in.

The Darkest Minds Trilogy by Alexandra Bracken

In this dystopian future, a mysterious disease has killed most of the children. Those who are lucky enough to have survived, turn out not to be so lucky after all: they develop powers that make the adults frightened enough to lock them all up in brutal “rehabilitation” camps.

The Razorland Trilogy by Ann Aguirre

New York City has been decimated by war and plague, and most of civilization has migrated to underground enclaves, where they never see daylight, life expectancy is no more than the early 20’s and they are hunted by zombie-like monsters called Freaks who are getting smarter each day.

The Hunger Games Trilogy by Suzanne Collins

Post-apocalyptic North-America now consists of a wealthy Capitol region surrounded by 12 poorer districts. In punishment of a failed rebellion against the capitol, each district must now each year yield one boy and one girl between the ages of 12 and 18 to participate in the The Hunger Games. These ‘tributes’ are forced to fight to the death, leaving only one survivor to claim victory.

Divergent Trilogy by Veronica Roth

In this post-apocalyptic version of Chicago, society is divided into five factions, each dedicated to a particular virtue—Candor (the honest), Abnegation (the selfless), Dauntless (the brave), Amity (the peaceful), and Erudite (the intelligent). This does not seem so bad at first, until it turns out you possess more than one of these virtues and are called Divergent. That’s when the trouble really starts.

The 5th Wave Trilogy by Rick Yancey

Earth is under attack by aliens and the attacks happen in waves. With the first wave, all the power is gone. With the second wave, massive tsunamis hit. With the third wave, an epidemic spreads across the country. With the fourth wave, the aliens are already among us, killing off anyone who has survived the previous waves. And then the mysterious 5th wave is still coming.

Under The Never Sky Trilogy by Veronica Rossi

In this post-apocalyptic world the earth is plagued by big energy storms. The few survivors are either Dwellers, who spend their entire lives in a government controlled pod with only virtual reality to keep them entertained, or Outsiders, who live outside and try to brave the ever more deadly storms.

The Chemical Garden Trilogy by Lauren DeStefano

A botched effort to create a perfect race has left all males with a lifespan of 25 years, and females with a lifespan of 20 years. Geneticists are seeking a miracle antidote to restore the human race, desperate orphans crowd the population, crime and poverty have skyrocketed, and young girls are being kidnapped and sold as polygamous brides to bear more children.

Animorphs Series by K.A. Applegate

The very first dystopian series I ever became addicted to! The world has been sneakily taken over by aliens – little worm-like aliens who slip into the human brains and take them over completely. A lot of the world is slowly being taken over and you have no idea who is alien and who is still human. They could have taken over your mother, father, brother, sister or friend already. As a kid, this world horrified me. As an adult, it still does.

Delirium Trilogy by Lauren Oliver

In this world, the cause to everything that has gone wrong in the world has been found: it’s deliria, also known as love. The deadliest of all deadly things: It kills you both when you have it and when you don’t. Luckily, a cure has been found that is obligatory to take when you turn 16. Once you have taken it you will never feel love again.

The Maze Runner Trilogy by James Dashner

The planet has been devastated by a massive solar flare, followed by a pandemic of a deadly, incurable virus called the Flare. This organization called WCKD has the solution: take kids who are immune, put them in a dangerous and deadly maze and see if they survive.

What are some of the futuristic societies you would not want to live in?

I find the end of the world endlessly fascinating (as long as it’s fictional). I’ve read and enjoyed most of the books on your list. I’ve never read any of the Animorphs books, but I do love Katherine Applegate’s middle grade fiction.